Alconchel or Miraflores Castle

En un regard

Le château en bref

Miraflores Castle crowns the hill of the same name above Alconchel, near the Portuguese border, from where it controlled the road to Badajoz. A Muslim fortress preceded it; the present building, whose origins date back to the 12th century, combines several building campaigns in dressed stone and masonry. A border fortress contested between Portugal and León, it passed to the Knights Templar and then to the Order of Alcántara, and was the scene of numerous clashes. Its elongated plan follows the rocky ridge; near-concentric curtain walls protect a square keep of three storeys, a parade ground, a cistern, dungeons and a chapel. Recently restored, an intervention judged damaging to the original structure by the catalogue of the Diputación de Badajoz, it has been adapted for hotel use while remaining open to visitors at weekends and on public holidays.